Scout's October Premium Recruiting Scoop

Staff

10/05/2016

Oct. 5 -- Scout's Premium Recruiting Scoop is the latest on key targets such as Drew Singleton, Marvin Wilson and UCLA targets Joseph Lewis and Anthony Hines, among other big topics in the month of October...

Who's Leading for Nation's No. 1 WR?

Los Angeles (Calif.) Hawkins wide out Joseph Lewis visited Nebraska over the weekend and the Huskers made a big impression on the five-star athlete. Lewis had already visited Lincoln twice before and said every time he's at Nebraska, it feels a little bit more like home. He has strong connections with freshman quarterback Patrick O'Brien and incoming quarterback Tristan Gebbia, has a great relationship with the coaching staff and feels he'll be able to play early as well. Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma and Oregon will all get official visits, and UCLA and USC are still involved, but if Signing Day was today, we would bet on the Huskers.

2018's No. 1 Still on Commit Watch?

It is another month, and the No. 1 prospect for 2018 is still uncommitted. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville (Ga.) was at Clemson for the Louisville game over the weekend, and the Tigers have really made a move here in recent months. Lawrence officially named Clemson and Georgia his top two schools late in the summer, but he also thought he would have his recruitment over with by now. He plans to visit Georgia later this fall, and do not sleep on the Florida Gators; they have worked hard to hang around this race as well. This recruitment could now go into 2017; many months after Lawrence had planned to commit.

Singleton Scheduling Visits

Drew Singleton , the Scout 100 outside linebacker from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, is trying to schedule visits to Cal, Clemson and Michigan. Pittsburgh could also get an official visit but it is a Clemson vs. Michigan battle, and one Michigan is winning.

Singleton is talking about Clemson being his leader, but part of it is a smokescreen as his familiarity with the Wolverines, their players and the coaching staff (particularly linebackers coach Chris Partridge, his former high school coach), has Michigan sitting in good shape.

Who to Watch for 5-Star Hines

Anthony Hines announced his third official trip, as he will be visiting Florida for its match-up with LSU. He has previously visited Texas A&M and Penn State, and he now only has two official trips left before making his final decision. He has scheduled his commitment announcement for Nov. 29 and he will be an early enrollee. The Gators will have a serious shot at his signature and they have emerged as one his top five favorites. We are watching schools like Texas, Ohio State and UCLA as three prominent schools in the mix to land his final two trips, but there are a number of other programs also vying.

OSU Making Run at Midwest WR?

There is buzz that Ohio State may make another run at in-state four-star wide receiver Jaylen Harris. At one point, the Buckeyes' numbers situation made that seem like a tougher proposition, but Harris has had an outstanding senior season and his play has made him a guy OSU will make room for.

Local Leader for Darnay Holmes?

Calabasas (Calif.) athlete Darnay Holmes is planning trips to Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio State with a commitment coming at the Army AA Game most likely to go down. At this point, UCLA remains a heavy leader and it will be a decent surprise if he ends up anywhere else. Holmes' father Darick and UCLA DB coach Demetrice Martin are childhood friends and that is playing a big role in the younger Holmes' recruitment. We believe location is a factor too as well as the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball, something UCLA has shown they will do in the past.

Where Does Bell Stand?

Markquese Bell, a Scout 300 outside linebacker from Bridgeton (N.J.) High, was set to make his first official visit over the weekend to Michigan, but he had to reschedule (a date is yet to be set). And the Wolverines will have to make a huge impression to sway Bell because Scout is hearing Clemson and Ohio State are the schools to watch the closest. Bell's relationship with Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano could be the difference-maker in the recruitment, and Bell is set to visit there for the Michigan game in late November. Bell also likes the comfort he feels with the players at Clemson, and he likes the atmosphere on campus. he switched his official visit for Oct. 8 as he no longer will trip to Florida and instead will make an official visit to Rutgers. Maryland is also in line for an official visit, but at this point the Terps are lagging behind the other four in Bell's top five. He is announcing his decision Dec. 1.

Frontrunner for 5-Star Marvin Wilson?

Many sleep on the chances that Texas A&M’s chances to land the No. 1 rated defensive tackle, Marvin Wilson, but for those that have been following this recruitment closely from the beginning the Aggies were indeed the first school to offer Wilson a scholarship and are a strong candidate to land one of his final three official visits. TAMU has done well recruiting and developing top defensive linemen and it is an SEC option close to his Houston home. LSU and Alabama were widely considered by most as the early front-runners, but coaching changes at both schools may be too much to overcome and the Aggies have been there since day one.

Michigan Team to Beat for Irving-Bey?

Flint (Mich.) Southwestern four-star defensive end Deron Irving-Bey visited Michigan again last weekend, and there continues to be increased belief that the Wolverines are the school to beat for him. He visited Michigan for their BBQ at the Big House in August and has been back for a couple games since then. Michigan State continues to be a strong challenger for Irving-Bey, who will announce decision after the season. Tennessee and Syracuse are also in the running.

Where is Foster Sarell Leaning?

The feeling is still that Foster Sarell is a heavy lean to Stanford and not much has changed. Yes, a Washington win certainly didn’t hurt the Huskies in their efforts to pursue the in-state star, but he’s been a Stanford lean for so long, and is looking at a much larger sample size and body of work, rather than one game, he’s not the type who’s going to flip a leader based on one game. Still, the Huskies did their part, but everything we’ve heard indicate the Cardinal are still comfortably in the driver’s seat for the No. 2 player in the country.

Stanford ahead for Oregon's Top Skill Prospect?

Oregon’s top skill prospect, four-star cornerback Elijah Molden, is still looking closely at the Cardinal as well as the in-state Oregon Ducks, where his father played. Washington and USC continue to pursue him, and he’ll visit Washington officially this fall, having already previously visited Stanford. The Ducks want to keep the legacy in state and their dearth of quality corners on the roster has intrigued him, but they also have three cornerbacks already committed. That could be the Ducks cushioning themselves if Molden does in fact head out of state, which still appears to be the case, with Stanford in a good spot for him.

Commitment Time for Walter Grant

Walter Grant is likely to commit this month. The Scout 100 linebacker out of Cairo (Ga.) was in Athens (Ga.) for the Georgia—Tennessee game this past weekend and he will be in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) to visit the Crimson Tide October 22. It is down to Alabama and Georgia. He grew up a Crimson Tide fan, but living in Georgia, his bond with the UGA staff, and the opportunity to make an early impact gives the Dawgs a slight edge. He feels he is very close to a decision.

Irish Trending for A&M Commit?

Keep an eye on Scout 300 athlete Keldrick Carper. The Texas A&M commit out of Plain Dealing (La.) quietly snuck up to South Bend (Ind.) to visit Notre Dame officially in September, and behind the scenes, the Irish have been trending. He is set to visit Texas A&M officially this weekend, and this is a big visit for the Aggies, the Irish and Carper. Will Texas A&M grab the momentum back?

Huskers Catching up to Gators for one of 2018's Best?

Calabasas (Calif.) junior defensive back Bookie Radley-Hiles told us last month that Florida was his top school and he referred to the Gator program as DBU. He visited Nebraska for the second time over the weekend and it sounds like the Huskers are trying their best to close the gap. It's no secret, the Husker fan base is one of a kid and no one is more active on twitter when it comes to selling their program to recruits. The game atmosphere makes for a special scene as well and Radley's recruitment will definitely be a fun one to follow.

Who's in the Lead for Reeves?

Things continue to look positive for Pittsburgh's chances with four-star tight end Charles Reeves. At one point, it appeared that Syracuse was in the lead, but recent visits to Pittsburgh have put the Panthers into the lead position.

Former Hurricane Commit Looking At Florida

All signs point to Florida. Christopher Henderson of Miami (Fla.) Columbus was a longtime Miami commit, but on Monday morning, he officially re-opened his recruitment. It had been coming for some time. He wants to take visits, and plenty of schools will make a run at the four-star athlete, but another in-state school, Florida, is the leader now. Henderson is close friends with Florida commit Kemore Gamble as well.

Maryland Working on A&M Commit?

Defensive end Tyree Johnson is committed to Texas A&M, but the Washington (D.C.) St. John's prospect is not as solid as some may think. He is looking at making several official visits, but the one to keep an eye on is one to Maryland.

The Terps are recruiting well near campus, and his teammate, four-star quarterback Kasim Hill, is committed to Maryland. Johnson has a friend and former teammate at Texas A&M in Aaron Hansford, so that should help the Aggies, but four months from signing day the team to beat is Maryland.

Does USC Have a Shot With UCLA Commit?

Redlands East Valley (Calif.) defensive end Jaelan Phillips created a bit of a stir over the weekend when he attended USC's home game over UCLA, the school he has been committed to since the summer. The Trojans stole a pair of five-star commits from the Bruins last year in wide out Michael Pittman and Oluwole Betiku so any time a UCLA commit even mentions the Trojans, it's going to be cause for panic on the message boards. This one looks like much ado about nothing however as Phillips is about as solid a commit as you can be right now and said he just attended the game because a few of his friends that he was with during the weekend were going.